Locked up for being 'drunk', but Lorraine has rare illness

A WOMAN who suffers from a muscle-wasting disease has told of her ‘humiliation’ as police kept her locked up for four hours after assuming she might be drunk. Lorraine Parkin, 37, suffers from Huntington’s Disease and CMT, conditions which cause balance problems.

She was stopped outside Swinton Shopping Centre by officers who believed she was drunk. Despite telling them about her illness, she was bundled into a police van and taken to Swinton police station, where she spent over four hours waiting to get the all-clear.

The mother-of-three said: "I was terrified, I have never been in the back of a police van in my life.

"When I walk, my balance is affected, which makes a lot of people think I am drunk.

"I’ve been stopped by police before but what they normally do is ask me if I’ve been drinking. I tell them about my illness and they do a breathalyser test, and then let me go.

"But this time it was different. I was putting my shopping in the back of my car when some police officers came over to me. I told one of them about my condition and she called some other officers over. By this time, a large group of people had formed and it was very distressing. I felt totally humiliated and helpless."

Police officers at Swinton police station then rang Lorraine’s doctor to confirm the details of her illness.

She said: "My doctor told them about my condition but the officers wanted me to be seen by a police doctor.He didn’t see me or speak to me but told other officers my condition meant I wasn’t fit to drive."

Lorraine, who lives in Branksome Drive, Salford, then had to wait while staff checked with the DVLA that she was deemed ‘road legal’ and released her.

She said: "I didn’t even get an apology. I think that police officers should receive more training on how to deal with disability."

A GMP spokesperson said: "The woman told officers she suffered from Huntington’s Disease and symptoms of this can make her appear drunk.

"The officers requested a breath test kit, to help confirm the woman’s account. However none were available for use at the roadside at that time.

"The woman was taken to Swinton police station at 11am, where officers were able to verify her symptoms. She was released without charge just after 11.50am, having spent less than an hour at the police station."

However, Lorraine refutes she was at the station for only an hour, and maintains she was there until mid-afternoon. The Huntington’s Disease Association confirmed that, as long as the DVLA have been informed, the condition does not mean that sufferers cannot drive.